Meeting the Parents
by stubzs87
Summary: "Guess that means more for us, right, Nakamura-san?" her father asked, raising his cup. Shinsuke grinned and raised his own in answer. They both downed their drinks at the same time. Oh god, this isn't happening…Asuka mentally face-palmed. My father is conducting a drinking contest with my boyfriend. Sequel to Necessary Distraction.
1. The Urais

_**Author's notes: Thank you to those that have reviewed and faved this fic series. I have finished the very last fic for this series and so there will be updates every month. Also some fics I cannot post here and will be posted to Archive of Our Own (AO3). such as my last fic. If you want to read those as well you can search for them under my username, it's the same as my username here. **_

_**Translations:**_  
_**Omiyage - Gifts given to family and friends when returning from abroad or a leave of absence. It is a sort of social currency in Japan. **_  
_**Genkan - The entry point of a Japanese house where shoes and jackets are removed before entering.  
Shoji - wood and rice paper sliding doors.**_  
_**Sōzu - a noise maker made of a piece of hollow bamboo and placed so that water pours into it. When it fills with water it will fall to the other side like a teether-totter, creating a sudden sound. In ancient times it was used to scare off birds or animals that would feed on gardens, but now it is used more as an aesthetic, to create a tranquil rhythmic sound for relaxation.  
Itadakimasu - "I humbly receive" said before eating**_  
_**Nishime - "One pot vegetable stew" consisting of root vegetables, potatoes, deep-fried tofu, and chicken or fish cake.  
Yaki Onigiri - fried rice balls.**_  
_**Harusame Salad - "Glass noodle salad."**_  
_**Salmon Nabanzuke - "Marinated fried salmon"**_  
_**Saba Oshizushi - "Mackerel pressed sushi"**_  
_**Okra Ohitashi - "Okra salad"**_  
_**Kanpai - "Cheers"**_  
_**Okonomiyaki - means "grilled how you want." A pancake made with cabbage, meat of your choosing, as well and many other things that could be cobbled together, as well as various sauces drizzled on top.**_

_**Text out of quotes in Italics=Thoughts**_  
_**Bold text out/in quotes=Emphasis on words**_

* * *

Asuka parked the rental car in the driveway of her parents' property. Shinsuke was about to truly meet her immediate family for the first time. Her mother would like him for sure but her father was another story. Though her father had already spoken to Shinsuke over the phone and had invited them over for dinner, Asuka knew the true test of her father's acceptance was just ahead.

A surge of nerves hit her once more and her next action was to run a hand over her boyfriend's black button-up shirt, smoothing out imaginary wrinkles for the umpteenth time.

Smiling faintly, Shinsuke turned to her and said, "As much as I like it when you touch me, you need to relax."

"How can I when our relationship is hinged on this meeting?" Asuka replied, brows furrowing as she focused on a perceived imperfection in the fabric.

Shinsuke grasped her hand with his large one, stilling her movements. He brought her fingers to his lips and brushed the tips with feather-light kisses. "True, our families' approval matters," he whispered. "But I hardly believe your father's opinion of me would keep you away if you really wanted me."

"Of course it wouldn't," Asuka confessed, looking him in the eye. Her gaze then faltered as she spoke again. "Though it would make things difficult."

"Hey, everything will be okay," Shinsuke said, releasing her hand to cup her face.

Asuka's eyes slid up to examine his face once more. She envied his calm. "How can you not be nervous?"

"You don't think I am nervous?" Shinsuke questioned in turn. He took her hand once more and placed it over his heart. Asuka felt his heart beating beneath her palm like a hummingbird's wings. "But for your sake, I will be your rock."

"Oh Shinsuke," Asuka's throat suddenly felt thick, her fingers clutching at his shirt.

"Will you let me…be your rock?" he asked gently.

Asuka's answer was to silently nod for she presently didn't trust her voice.

"Then let us not waste time," Shinsuke said. "Surely your parents have missed you as you have them."

Biting her lip as tears of emotion pricked at her eyes, Asuka nodded briskly.

Shinsuke leaned in and kissed her forehead. "C'mon, let's go," he whispered against her skin.

"Yes," she found her voice again.

They leaned back from each other and Shinsuke smoothed out the wrinkles she had caused in his shirt with a wry smile.

Asuka flushed and jumped out of the driver's side, grabbing the gift bag she had gotten for her parents. It contained a tin of assorted Floridian candies and a bottle of craft whiskey from the St. Augustine Distillery.

"Don't forget your omiyage!" she called over the top of the vehicle as Shinsuke unfolded himself to his full height on the other side.

"I haven't," he assured her patiently and stooped to pick up his bouquet and a small box wrapped in white gift paper and red ribbon. Inside the box was a set of handcrafted wooden cooking utensils.

Asuka sighed and tried to reign in her nerves. "I'm sorry you have to deal with me being like this."

"It's not so bad," Shinsuke hobbled around the car to stand at her side. "Here, smell the flowers."

Asuka scented the bouquet of bluebells, daffodils, and pink roses. "Mmm, still fresh…You did well picking them out."

"Think so?"

Asuka nodded, feeling a little more tranquil.

Side by side they approached the house, her at a slower pace while Shinsuke limped with a crutch, as his leg had not yet fully healed. Somehow he still managed to juggle his gifts and the crutch.

The house was two-stories, mostly modern but the top leaned more towards traditional Japanese with its tiles and peaked roof. Though the houses were fairly closely spaced, her parents resided in a pleasantly quiet neighborhood.

Upon reaching the door, Asuka knocked and smiled when she heard barking on the other side.

Shinsuke's eyebrows rose. "Sounds vicious," his tone was teasing.

Asuka nudged her boyfriend's shoulder just as the front door opened. She and Shinsuke straightened quickly. "Ojamashimasu," they chorused.

"Come in, come in," her mother, Natsumi beckoned warmly.

They exchanged bows and stepped inside and into the genkan. The yapping barks had intensified and Asuka eagerly searched for the source, hoping to find the four-legged beastie before said beastie found Shinsuke.

"Oh, my darling~" her mother cried, crushing Asuka in an embrace. "How I have missed you!"

Urai Natsumi nearly matched Asuka's stature. Her hair was much longer and natural ebony, thrown up into a styled bun. Asuka inherited her button nose.

"I missed you too, mom," Asuka returned, feeling tears well up again, hugging her tight. "I have gifts from America for you and father." Her mother let go of her long enough to take the gift bag, then hugged her even tighter. Asuka opened her eyes and found her father, Haruki, a few feet away, holding a still barking Papillion.

Urai Haruki was only a few inches taller than her mother. Silver streaked black hair crowned his head and square jaw possessed a five o'clock shadow. Asuka and Haruki shared the same eyes as evidenced by the glasses perched on the bridge of her father's nose.

Haruki stepped forward with fondness in his eyes. "Rainbow Girl," he greeted. "It's been so long since I've seen you last. I'm glad to see you've made it safely."

"Yes, too long." Asuka agreed. Natsumi released her and she side hugged her father lovingly. To the dog in his arms, she gave a scratch behind her feathery ears.

Natsumi then turned her attention to Shinsuke. "Ohh and you must be the famous Nakamura Shinsuke?" Shinsuke nodded humbly. Her mother continued, "I am Urai Natsumi."

"Pleasure to meet you," Shinsuke said and limped forward.

"The pleasure is all mine. Oh let me help you with those," Natsumi offered, noticing Shinsuke's handicap.

"For you, Natsumi-san," Shinsuke said, giving her the bouquet with a bow.

"Very lovely," her mother complimented. "I must say, Nakamura-san…you look even more impressive in person~"

Shinsuke's cheeks reddened in apparent embarrassment. "Ah…T-Thank you, Urai-san."

Asuka felt flustered at her mother's forwardness. "Mom!" she complained.

"What?" Natsumi asked her, clearly oblivious. "Just saying…you found yourself a really handsome man, Asuka."

"That's enough Natsumi, can't you tell the poor boy is uncomfortable?" Haruki said, taking his daughter's side much to Asuka's delight.

"I guess my honesty isn't wanted…" Natsumi told Shinsuke with a pout. "But you appreciate it, right Nakamura-san?"

"Y-Yes," Shinsuke replied shyly. When her mother moved to take the box from him, Shinsuke politely declined and hobbled forward to Haruki.

Her father examined him like a bug under a microscope, even as he greeted Shinsuke. "Welcome. I am Urai Haruki."

"Thank you for inviting me into your home," Shinsuke said, bowing. "This is for you, Haruki-san." He offered Haruki the box.

A bud of pride blossomed in Asuka's chest as she watched her boyfriend regain his confidence in front of her father.

Haruki paused before taking the gift, looking Shinsuke over. He then also bowed deep.

Shinsuke bowed again.

Greetings out of the way, Shinsuke and Asuka set about removing their shoes in the genkan. Shinsuke had to sit down on the edge of the genkan on account of his leg.

"So you were bitten by a dog?" Haruki asked him.

"Yes, sir."

Asuka could see the gears turning in her father's head. _What was he up to?_ She soon found out when Haruki placed his wiggling dog on the floor.

"I forgot to introduce you to Chouko, said Haruki.

Chouko immediately ran to Asuka to greet her, but the stranger in the house quickly grabbed her attention. She began barking again and even letting out little snarls.

_Shit!_ Asuka moved to grab the dog. Shinsuke looked up at her from his spot on the floor, shaking his head.

"Chouko, huh?" Shinsuke cooed as if to a child. "A very fitting name with ears like that."

Chouko stopped snarling at least, but she continued her barking, her little body still tense.

"You look like you enjoy having those silky ears rubbed." Shinsuke lay almost flat on his back, putting himself on the dog's level. Slowly he extended his hand palm down in her direction, letting Chouko choose to close the gap between them. "Can I pet your pretty ears?"

To Asuka's amazement, the Papillion instantly calmed and hesitantly padded toward the proffered hand. Chouko sniffed Shinsuke's fingers, nosed his hand, then began licking his the back of his hand.

After a few minutes of letting Chouko acquaint herself with him, he shifted his hand at a snail's pace. When Chouko didn't react negatively, he slowly moved his hand towards her tiny head, massaging one of her ears. Chouko almost closed her eyes in bliss. By the end of their meeting, Shinsuke was able to sit up and cradle Chouko against his chest.

"Yes, you're a very good girl, Chouko-chan," her boyfriend praised.

"I don't believe it," Asuka heard her father whisper beneath his breath.

Indeed Shinsuke had accomplished quite a feat in gaining Chouko's trust so quickly and so utterly. It took Asuka's cousin several visits before Chouko would approach him without barking in alarm; much less allow him to pick her up.

"Quite charming, your man," her mother murmured appreciatively in Asuka's ear. "If I were younger and not married…"

"Mom!" Asuka hissed in mortification.

Haruki cleared his throat plainly in an effort to mask his astonishment. "Natsumi, please seat them in the dining room. Dinner will be furnished shortly." He then headed in the direction of the kitchen.

"Right this way," Natsumi said with a smile and a hand gesture. She led them down the same long hardwood hall that her husband had taken. Natsumi smelled the flowers in her hand and sighed dreamily. "I will have to find a nice vase and the perfect place for these." Moments later she stopped beside a set of shoji doors. "Speaking of flowers, I would love to show you the pride and joy of this house, Nakamura-san."

Shinsuke shifted Chouko in his free arm and gave her mother a small smile. "I would like that very much."

Natsumi slid the door open and stepped over the threshold. Asuka followed next, and behind her, Shinsuke audibly gasped before falling silent. Ahead of them lay a private backyard dominated by a moderately sized garden and small pond set up. Magnificent flowers such as chrysanthemums and amaryllis bloomed all about, a Sakura tree ruling over the smaller flora. A small red bridge arched over the koi pond, and the sound of a sōzu announced the presence of an artificial brook.

Even after seeing it so many times before, her mother's garden never failed to fill Asuka with wonder.

"Exquisite…" Shinsuke breathed as he came to stand next to Asuka, his eyes wide and searching over each new sight.

"Come, we can feed the koi," Asuka suggested.

Shinsuke eagerly hobbled after her and onto the bridge.

As they neared the pond, Asuka could more easily pick out the form of an overweight Japanese Bobtail cat. His fur was predominately white with black painting both of his ears and his tail; a large splotch of it marked his back. The cat sat at the edge of the pond, watching the colorful fish longingly.

Asuka grinned at the cat. "Hello, Torou. Still dreaming of having the energy to catch one?"

Torou didn't spare her a glance, merely twitched his short tail. However as if understanding her, he reached out with one paw and harmlessly batted at the head of one of the koi mouthing at the surface. The fish didn't fear the cat and the cat was so well fed that he barely registered as a threat to them.

"My, you haven't missed a meal Torou-kun," Shinsuke chuckled as they passed the feline.

Hearing a new voice, Torou glanced up with keen eyes, pupils momentarily wide as he took in Shinsuke's shape. Soon enough though, the fish had regained his attention.

"Not much phases him, unlike Chouko,"Asuka explained the cat's temperament. "But he is very choosey about whose lap he will occupy. Usually, he favors mom, but he'll pick dad when it's time to eat."

"I see," Shinsuke said. "Well, at least I have Chouko's affection." He nuzzled the little dog and she bathed his face with canine kisses.

Asuka took a moment to smile fondly at the two before reaching into a small crimson box fastened to the railing of the bridge. Producing koi food from the box, she sprinkled the pellets down upon the crowd of waiting mouths below. Shinsuke's focus left Chouko and he moved beside Asuka to peer down at the fish. Asuka's smile widened and she gathered more pellets for him.

"Here."

Gingerly Shinsuke bent to place Chouko on the ground before taking the koi food into his hand. He showered the pellets into the water, eyes crinkling at the corners as he observed the fish gobbling up his offering.

Asuka felt eyes on her and looked across the garden to see her mother staring at them with a sense of knowing. Heat encroached over Asuka's face and she swiftly turned back to the koi.

After a few more moments of silence, Shinsuke said, "This place is…so peaceful…it's like a sanctuary from the rest of the world. Magical."

"It is…" Asuka agreed. "It's one of the things I look forward to when I visit home."

"I would love a garden like this of my own," Shinsuke whispered. He then turned from the fish, catching her eyes with his. "A magical sanctuary…" his voice lowered, eyes becoming hooded. Asuka's gaze lowered to his mouth and she found herself licking her lips. She started gravitating towards him. He also seemed to draw closer. "A sanctuary for just you and me."

Asuka tilted her head back as his descended. Their lips were only a hair's breadth away when her father's voice sent her lurching backward until her back whacked against the opposite side of the bridge. Because of his bad leg, Shinsuke only flinched in response.

"The table is set," Haruki called.

Her mother was suddenly nowhere to be seen. Natsumi had clearly planned this all out.

Asuka held a hand over her racing heart after her father took his leave. _How long had he been standing there?_ She hoped he wasn't pissed.

"C'mon," Asuka said, gritting her teeth at her mother's scheming.

She led Shinsuke to the dining room, Chouko hot on their heels. The extendable dining room table was furnished with a large pot, several platters of food, and individual cups, plates, bowls, and chopsticks for the four of them. The cuisine consisted of nishime, yaki onigiri, harusume salad, salmon nabanzuke, saba oshizushi, okra otihashi, and rice. A teakettle was also within easy reach.

Haruki invited them to sit on one side of the table, while he and his wife occupied the other. It didn't escape Asuka's notice that her father seated himself directly across from Shinsuke. Nor did she miss the bottle of whiskey and sake cups beside him.

_He's planning to get Shinsuke drunk and interrogate him?! _

Asuka's worry crept back into place and she tried not to shake as she took her chopsticks to say the customary "Itadakimasu."

"Please help yourself to whatever you like, Nakamura-san," said Haruki.

"Thank you," Shinsuke inclined his head.

Everyone began to dig in, putting food from the pots and platters onto their plates and bowls. Asuka picked out a little bit of everything, and everyone else seemed to have the same thing in mind.

At first, they all ate in a semi-awkward silence before Shinsuke broke it with a sound of culinary pleasure. "Asuka was right, your food is **amazing** Urai-san~"

Haruki looked up at her boyfriend, brows raised.

Shinsuke smiled. "Asuka told me you were quite the chef."

"Well, I suppose she wasn't lying," Haruki grunted.

"No need to be modest. This is top-notch." Shinsuke made an "O" with his fingers. "You will have to show me your restaurant before we leave Osaka…Murasaki is the name, right? Ohh hi," Shinsuke suddenly addressed his lap, or more accurately the cat sitting there.

Asuka paused mid-chew to gape at the feline's preference change. Her father stared flabbergasted. Her mother only looked mildly surprised.

"Is it all right if I feed him?" Shinsuke looked to her father after Torou started meowing and tapping him for food.

"I don't see why not." Haruki watched shrewdly from behind his glasses as her boyfriend fed the cat some morsels of salmon. Her father raised a hand to push the frames back into place. "I'm very eager to try this whiskey…" Haruki opened the bottle. "I'd like for you to drink with me."

"Ohh that's not necessary," Asuka interjected, hoping she didn't sound too desperate. "We've already tried it. It's very good."

"Nonsense," Shinsuke said undaunted and held up his cup for Haruki to pour the liquor into. "Allow me." Shinsuke gestured to the bottle and her father handed it over for her boyfriend to serve him his drink. Shinsuke then filled hers and her mother's cups.

Haruki raised his cup and Shinsuke, and Natsumi followed his example. Asuka lifted hers more reluctantly.

"Kanpai," they all said – Asuka's voice a murmur – then they all downed the whiskey.

"Oh! It kind of burns…" her mother exclaimed, making a face.

"Americans like their alcohol strong." Asuka gave a faint wince. She preferred drinking wine to hard liquor.

"It's not so bad," Haruki shrugged, examining the bottle.

"Not bad at all," Shinsuke agreed.

"Care for another?"

"Sure." Shinsuke lifted his cup for more, then returned the favor for her father.

Asuka waved her hand when Shinsuke offered her another round. "I'm good, someone's gotta remain relatively sober."

"I must politely decline as well," Natsumi said apologetically.

"Guess that means more for us, right, Nakamura-san?" her father asked, raising his cup.

Shinsuke grinned and raised his own in answer. They both downed their drinks at the same time.

_Oh god, this isn't happening…_Asuka mentally face-palmed. _My father is conducting a drinking contest with my boyfriend. _She felt her anxiety mounting. Who would win this battle of intoxication? Her father could hold his drink fairly well, however, Shinsuke had more experience with American alcohols. _It will be close…I should see if I can intercede on this foolishness._

"So tell me more about yourself, Nakamura-san?" Haruki asked, voice a tad thicker.

Shinsuke's gaze was relaxed, lids lowered. "What would you like to know?" he countered.

Asuka pinched Shinsuke's thigh in warning. _Don't get too cheeky with him!_

"Why wrestling?" Haruki filled Shinsuke's cup.

"My grandmother," Shinsuke replied, pouring for her father before drinking his shot. "My father wanted me to be a famous baseball player, but I didn't even like watching it with him. I enjoyed watching wrestling with my grandma much more. Plus I wanted to become stronger and I couldn't exactly become a ninja."

"You wanted to be a ninja when you were a boy?" Natsumi asked, interested.

"Yes," Shinsuke chuckled.

Her mother tittered. "How cute."

"But then I realized I would have to be an assassin." Her boyfriend said forthrightly.

A temporary pause issued after his words where the only sound was their chewing. Asuka's worry grew and she looked back and forth between her parents. Her mother continued smiling at Shinsuke, but her father lifted a brow.

"So I decided I would become a strong famous wrestler instead." Shinsuke finished, likely sensing he might have ended his sentence badly.

"Baseball would have been a bit easier on your body, don't you think?" Haruki queried as he began a new round of drinks.

"It would…but my heart wouldn't have been all in," Shinsuke reasoned. "Besides, I wanted to see the world…Can't say that I know of too many Japanese baseball players that compete outside of our country's leagues. And I don't think I would have met Asuka otherwise. Isn't it interesting how we never before met until we both left Japan?"

"Hmph, quite…" said her father, his tone less enthused.

"I think it's wonderful that you carved your own path separate from your father's," Natsumi verbally applauded between bites of rice.

"Perhaps so," Shinsuke murmured, eyes becoming mildly distant.

Asuka could tell that it wasn't the alcohol doing that to him, but thoughts of his father. Under the table, she took his hand in hers. Shinsuke seemed to return to the present, his head lolling minutely as he squeezed Asuka's hand in return. He turned and gave her a quirk of his lips.

"So what was it like training under Inoki-san?" her father went on with his questioning. A slight slur tinged his speech. "Did you ever wonder about failure? About giving up?"

"Failure? All the time," Shinsuke admitted. "I made so many mistakes when I was a rookie and the training often made me wonder if I would die. At times I thought I was done. But Inoki must have seen something in me to keep pushing me back then. That didn't help my peers' jealousy, but I couldn't care about them. I could only just focus on myself just to survive the industry. And I guess I simply wanted to succeed more than anything. Giving up? I never considered it. I'd rather fail taking a risk than to give up without trying."

Her father slurped his noodles, a thoughtful look upon his face. Shinsuke returned to his food as well giving more scraps to Torou and a few to Chouko. Sensing a decent pause in the conversation and that her father seemed satisfied at the moment, Asuka relaxed and focused on dinner. Soon all their plates began to empty.

"So how is your injury fairing, Nakamura-san?" her mother asked this time.

"It's coming along well now I think," Shinsuke replied. "I suffered a fever early on, but Asuka helped me fight it off and heal. I am very grateful to her for that."

Natsumi nodded. "I'm glad to hear that. Asuka is very caring with the people she loves."

Asuka tried to hide her rapidly forming blush behind her bowl of rice, pretending to be nothing more than hungry. She felt Shinsuke's eyes on her for a moment before the heat of his gaze turned elsewhere. She lowered her bowl and steered the conversation towards safer territory.

"How's stuff with the salon going, mom?"

"Oh just fine, darling," Natsumi replied happily. "You shouldn't have to ask me. You should see the money coming in, being that you're the owner. I just run things here."

Shinsuke turned to her, surprise evident on his face. "You own a hair salon?"

"It's nothing," Asuka waved him away self-depreciatingly, the blush she hoped to be rid making itself known again.

"It** is** something," he nudged her shoulder gently. "How come you never told me?"

Asuka stared into her rice bowl, Shinsuke's praise making butterflies form in her stomach. "So I don't toot my own horn. I have enough advertisers doing that for me…"

Her boyfriend hummed. "You know, I could use a trim. Would you do me the honor sometime, Asuka?"

"I…Of course," she nodded.

Thoughts of running her hands through his wavy tresses invaded her head and made her belly flip flop. It wasn't like she didn't do just that every day but she found herself wanting to do that right now. Among other things that weren't proper.

Beneath the table, Asuka felt a hand on her knee. She nearly choked on her food and tossed the contents of her bowl.

"Are you okay, Asuka?" her father asked in alarm.

"F-Fine," she replied after a coughing fit. "Just my throat got too dry, I think." _Please don't look_…she thought desperately as she reached for her cup of tea to hide her blush.

The touch wasn't particularly salacious as a hand on her thigh. However, her knees were sensitive to his hands and the initial contact had practically scorched her considering her recent train of thought.

"So what else do you do to keep busy when you're not wrestling? What other interests do you have?" Natsumi carried on.

Asuka moved all her focus to the conversation so as not to react to the thumb drawing circles lightly on her knee.

"Many things." Shinsuke's eye brightened. "Most notably drawing, painting, surfing, camping, making and selling T-shirt designs for RVCA. And I just like to try new things."

"Like what?" And just like that Haruki was readying more rounds, one after the other, causing Shinsuke to remove his hand from her knee.

"Different martial arts…artistic mediums. I enjoy experimenting." Now Shinsuke had started to speak slower as if his mind was trying to catch up with his mouth. "In fact…your daughter and I…we sort of…experimented on something together."

_Oh no…_Asuka inwardly panicked. _Please don't be too loose-tongued!_

"Really?" her father asked, heavy-lidded eyes narrowing – in question or suspicion, Asuka couldn't tell.

"Yes!" Shinsuke said in excitement. He pulled out his phone and fiddled with it for several minutes before it appeared he found what he was looking for. "See for yourself, Urai-san." He passed his phone over the table.

Haruki fixed the placement of his glasses once more before looking at the pixels on the screen, drink-slowed mind fitting them all together to form a picture of what he was seeing. "You and Asuka…painted this together?" Her father questioned with sudden interest, turning the phone around so Asuka could finally see the image.

It was the abstract painting they had collaborated on while he was recovering. Asuka breathed a literal sigh of relief.

"Yes," Shinsuke said proudly. "It's our baby~"

_Damnit, stop digging holes!_ Asuka's cheeks flared with heat.

Her father said nothing to that, merely passed the phone to his wife for her to see.

"Lovely work, both of you! Asuka I think you found your soul mate in all ways~" Natsumi said dreamily.

Haruki sent his wife a sideways look. "Your baby, huh?" he said once he turned back to Shinsuke. "Are you hoping to have children…Nakamura-san?"

Shinsuke looked taken aback by the question. "Children with Asuka? Well…to be honest…I haven't put much serious thought into it." He looked at Asuka questioningly.

Her face heated as she recalled fancying what their children would look like and she wanted to cover her face.

"I'm sure Asuka would love to have babies~" Natsumi chimed in,

Asuka began chugging down her tea in an effort to disguise her blush. She said nothing.

"Hn…certainly not so soon," her father shook his head.

"Don't you want grandchildren?" her mother asked her husband.

"I do…but this…is not the time." Haruki slurred.

"Asuka isn't getting any younger, dear," her mother argued.

_Oh my god!_ Asuka internally screamed.

Beside her, Shinsuke shifted uneasily on his cushion. Perhaps he was becoming as uncomfortable as she felt.

"Mom, dad," Asuka decided it was time to butt in. "Thank you so much for dinner. It was nice catching up. I'm starting to feel the exhaustion of travel hit me though, and I'm sure Shinsuke feels the same. Maybe it's a good time for us to turn in for the night." Under the table, she crossed her fingers that she and her boyfriend would be free of this scrutiny.

"I see…Well then…I should show you to your rooms." Haruki nodded as he stumbled to his feet. He still sounded quite buzzed.

"Oh don't worry." Natsumi placed a hand on her husband's shoulder. "I'll set them up."

"I see what you're doing…you wily minx." Haruki eyed his wife. "I will have no trouble…showing them to their…**separate** rooms."

"But…" Asuka started, not wanting to be separated from Shinsuke. "Shinsuke and I are both adults…"

"She's right. And they won't get to practice making babies if they don't share rooms," Natsumi butted in.

Haruki stared at her mother in shock and Shinsuke had enough sense about him to look awkward.

"Mom!" Asuka wailed in embarrassment.

"What?" Her mother asked as though they were talking about the weather.

Shaking her head, Asuka turned back to her father. "We've shared rooms on many occasions already."

"So you've been practicing already?" Natsumi butted in again, sounding hopeful.

"No!" Asuka's cheeks flamed as her humiliation heightened. Her parents didn't need to know she had fooled around with Shinsuke in other ways!

Shinsuke played with his hair and appeared to find a spot on the floor quite interesting. As if sensing her boyfriend's nerves, Chouko sat next to him, whining and pawing at his pant leg.

"Enough," Haruki said quietly, but it was enough to draw everyone's attention. "Asuka…I don't care what you two do at home…or on the road. But this is my home…and you will sleep in separate rooms.

She was about to argue anew when Shinsuke lifted his head and nodded, submitting her father's wishes. Sounding almost completely sober, he said, "Of course… Urai-san. We accept your conditions."

Asuka pouted like a teenager but Shinsuke flashed her a look that said, _You wanted me to make a good impression. Let me do that. _

Sighing, she reluctantly yielded. "Fine…"

Her parents helped them bring their necessary belongings inside the house and to the second floor where the bedrooms were; her father stumbling and Shinsuke hobbling. Shinsuke was shown to his room first, a minimally furnished guestroom with a hidden futon bed and a small chest of drawers. Haruki and Asuka unfurled the bed for him onto the floor.

"Are you going to be okay sleeping like this?" she asked Shinsuke, gesturing to his leg.

"Don't worry…I'll be fine." His hand twitched at his side as though he wanted to touch her but was refraining, even while under the influence. "Goodnight," he said softly, caressing her instead with his voice.

Asuka bit her bottom lip, wanting to kiss him so badly. "Goodnight, Shinsuke," she reciprocated.

Shinsuke gave her a small, but affectionate smile then looked past her to her parents. "Thank you for your hospitality…Haruki-san…Natsumi-san." He then bowed as best he could in his condition.

"You've been wonderful company, Nakamura-san," her mother bowed lowly.

Haruki inclined his head. "Indeed you have. Glad to finally meet you…Nakamura-san. Goodnight."

"Goodnight to you and Natsumi-san." Shinsuke returned.

She followed her parents, looking between her father and Shinsuke as she left the guestroom.

Her father led her to her usual guestroom, which was a little more lavishly furnished with a platform bed, tea table, worktable, and décor which featured some of her old paintings.

Her mother pulled her into another tight hug, stroking her hair. "I love you and I'm so happy to have you home, darling. I wish we could have you for longer."

"Me too, mom." Asuka hugged back just as fiercely. "And you and dad are always welcome to visit America some time."

"We will try one day," Natsumi promised before letting her go.

Haruki whispered something to his wife and she bid Asuka goodnight before leaving the room. When her father then sat on the edge of the bed, Asuka joined him.

"I didn't get to talk much to you tonight…for that I'm sorry. But I hope you understand my reasoning."

"I do." Asuka nodded.

"You are…still happy with your career…and living in America?" he asked.

"Yes. Even if not everything is going exactly my way, Shinsuke always makes things a lot more bearable. And I've made so many new friends that make it worth it too. America is very different, but I like staying there. The fans have been very supportive and bring a lot of energy for me to feed off of. I have my side projects that bring me joy too."

Her father stroked the short gray stubble speckling his jaw before eventually nodding. "I am glad to hear that." He looked at her. "I am very proud you…and all you have accomplished…Rainbow Girl."

Despite her age, Asuka felt again like the little girl she once was, basking in her father's praise. "Thanks, dad," she bowed her head in gratitude. "So Murasaki has been going well?"

"Yes," he said in his way of putting her at ease. "We've got a good source of regulars…and new faces are streaming in every day. Business keeps growing and growing…especially when we add new items to the menu."

"That's wonderful. I am so very proud of you too, dad," she said with a wide grin. "Let's continue carving our paths."

Haruki matched her smile. "Of course. Let's stop at nothing."

"Right!"

They exchanged another pair of confident smiles. "Tomorrow…I wish to treat you and Shinsuke to breakfast at the restaurant. I want you to see how everything has grown."

"Sounds good." Asuka nodded. "And Shinsuke has been eager to see it."

"Hn…and I'm looking forward to seeing how he stacks up."

"What?" she inquired nervously.

"Nothing. Goodnight dear." Haruki hugged her briefly.

"Er. Goodnight," she returned as he walked to the door. Her father gave her a wave over his shoulder before stepping out of her room.

After Haruki left, Asuka turned to her luggage and dug out her sleepwear. Because she wouldn't have a whole lot of time to spend with her family tomorrow, she immediately changed and then settled into her bed before turning out the lights.

And what ensued next was a long period of tossing and turning. Though she first shifted into her preferred position for sleep, Asuka ended up lying there for a while without succumbing. And no matter what way she turned, onto her stomach, back, or upon either side, sleep continued to elude her.

What was her father planning for Shinsuke tomorrow?

She attempted to find relief with a cool glass of water from the washroom. When that didn't work, she tried paging through one of her e-books on her Kindle. Her eyes grew tired of the screen, but they weren't tired enough to seek slumber. She tried an audiobook instead.

That didn't work either.

Asuka then discovered her problem right away. It wasn't coolness she wanted, but the warmth of a lanky body beside hers. She didn't need printed text or English words read to her, but to see the contours of tanned skin and the serenity of a smooth Japanese voice.

She needed Shinsuke or she wouldn't get a wink of sleep.

Unable to withstand her yearning a moment longer, Asuka got out of bed and quietly padded out of her room, down the hall, and slid open the door to Shinsuke's room. Inside she saw the upper part of his body rising in silhouette against the moonlight.

"A-Asuka?" he asked lowly.

"Shh," she placed a finger over her lips then stepped in, closing the door behind her.

Shinsuke said nothing more as she crawled under the covers with him. Pressing her front against his, Asuka happily buried her face in the crook of his neck. A pleased sigh escaped her as the scent of ocean, pine, and whiskey surrounded her, already lulling her. She wrapped her arms around his bare torso and pulled him closer.

Slowly and tentatively Shinsuke's arms encircled her, one hand trailing up and down her back before massaging the nape of her neck. "Are you okay?" he whispered, sounding much more sober.

"Mhmm," Asuka mumbled. "Couldn't sleep. Needed to feel you next to me."

His fingers weaved through her hair. "But your father—"

She cut him off with a lingering kiss. A small moan issued from his throat and she swallowed it greedily. "I'll go back to my room in the morning…" she said, giving him kisses that were more innocent than the first. "Mmm…now sleep…Anata."

Shinsuke quietly relented and hauled her closer like a second skin. A calming silence fell over them, marked only by the sound of their breathing and the rustle of his hand over her back.

_Yes, this is what I needed,_ Asuka smiled faintly as sleep finally began to creep over her.

The next morning Asuka found she and Shinsuke had shifted during the night. He was spooning her and she could tell he was awake by the cadence of his breathing.

Asuka yawned and stretched, turning over onto her back. "How long have you been awake?" she asked while rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"A little while now," he replied lowly.

She looked at her iWatch, The time read 6:30 am. "Did you sleep last night?"

"Off and on," he mumbled. "It's a little hard for a man to sleep in the residence of his girlfriend's father when said girlfriend shouldn't be in the room. Your father tolerated me last night, but one misstep from me this early on could change that."

"Oh, sorry," she whispered sheepishly. She gave him an apologetic kiss.

Shinsuke inhaled through his nose as he reciprocated. "Mmm…but having you…next to me…more than makes up…for the lack of…sleep."

His touch trailed over her side and rested over her stomach, his fingers splaying there. Whether by intent or accident, his pinky grazed the waistband of her sleep bottoms. Asuka licked her lips, imagining his fingers going lower, but they didn't. His hand ghosted over her abdomen to her hip and simply pulled her closer.

"I feel like you've been teasing me since last night…" she whined. "Won't you touch me a little?"

"I am touching you."

Asuka huffed. "You know exactly what I mean."

"Indeed I do." Shinsuke's lips brushed over the shell of her ear.

Desire shot through her and she considered following her mother's advice from the night before. She bit his lower lip and claimed his mouth. Shinsuke groaned softly, tongue doing wickedly good things to hers. Hooking one leg around his hip, Asuka prepared to climb his body.

His strong arms held her fast in place.

"Shinsukeee," she pleaded, unashamed by how pathetic she sounded.

"Not here," he rasped. "Not now."

Asuka wanted to scream "When?" but her sanity prevailed and she thought better of it.

Shinsuke snuggled her head under his chin. "I just wanna lay here with you for just a bit longer before you have to make your grand escape."

"I wish I could lay here with you forever," she blurted out.

She could hear the smile in his voice. "Me too."

Asuka stayed in his room a bit longer, basking in his warmth and stealing kisses when she could before sneaking out and tiptoeing back to her room. She felt sure that she had bypassed her father's notice, but a small inkling of doubt made her wonder.

Her certainty of a mission complete became absolute when her father greeted them the next morning, seeming none the wiser.

The four of them swiftly got ready and left for Murasaki. The restaurant had definitely improved since she had last seen it. There was a shiny new sign and inside a section had been added on for extra seating. And the place was completely packed with customers.

And to think, all of this was just a tiny hole in the wall in the beginning.

Shinsuke's head seemed to be on a swivel, constantly taking in every bit of décor and plates of food on their way through with a visible sense of awe. Some customers took heed of her and Shinsuke's arrival. It was hard to miss her colorful hair and Shinsuke's height after all. Those patrons either did a double-take, whispered amongst themselves, or said ecstatic but politely short greetings to her and Shinsuke.

Haruki led them to the private booth always designated for him and his family. Asuka and her mother seated themselves, but her father remained standing.

Before Shinsuke could sit down, Haruki asked him, "Do you cook, Nakamura-san?"

"Yes," Shinsuke paused then resumed standing. "When I can rather, and I'm sure I'm nowhere near as good as you or Asuka."

"We shall see," her father stated. "Come with me to the kitchen, please."

Asuka's hands suddenly became sweaty.

"Alright," Shinsuke nodded. He took his cell phone out of his pocket, thumbed the screen, and gave the device to her mother. "Won't you keep this for me? It's been yelling at me all morning and it won't do for me to have it with me while cooking."

"Oh, sure," Her mother accepted it happily and peered at the screen.

"Oh, Haruki! Look, it's a picture of him and Asuka~" She turned the phone around so her husband could see.

Haruki gave a nod and a grunt at the picture, then turned and walked towards the kitchen. Shinsuke sent her a small wave before hobbling after him.

Asuka crossed her legs under the table or else she'd be tempted to follow them. "Great, dad's going to murder my boyfriend with one of his sushi knives…" she agonized aloud. _Or worse…spill the beans about my past…_Asuka shivered.

"He's not going to kill your boyfriend, darling," her mother promised, likely sensing Asuka's unease. But it didn't take long for her to go back to snooping on Shinsuke's phone. "Oh, you two are so adorable~"

Asuka barely registered Natsumi's words, her nerves beginning to fray with worry.

"You love him, don't you?"

That pulled Asuka from her own head. "Wha—?"

"I saw how you looked at him in the garden last night." Natsumi gave her the phone for safekeeping. "And I saw how he looked at you. You both look so happy in those pictures too. You love him and he loves you."

"I…dunno…" Asuka bit her lip. She did know, knew at least that she loved Shinsuke. It both exhilarated and sometimes scared her how fast she fell for him. But did he really love her too? "I think…maybe it's too early to tell."

Her mother shook her head. "Believe what you want, but I know what I saw."

After a while of catching up with her mother and discussing some more details about her relationship with Shinsuke, both their significant others showed up with a cart of food. What surprised her was that they looked completely cordial with each other, smiling and laughing.

"See, your father didn't kill him," Natsumi whispered with a smile.

"I guess that's something, huh?" Asuka conceded.

"You're quite the cook yourself, Shinsuke-kun." Haruki said. "Not bad at all."

Asuka startled at the suffix. She saw Shinsuke's eyes widen. She turned towards her father to question him but he still kept his gaze on her boyfriend.

"But you haven't eaten it yet to know for sure." Shinsuke rubbed the back of his head.

"Don't sell yourself short," said her father. "I sampled here and there, and what I ate was delicious. Besides, you worked in harmony with my staff and me. That is no easy task."

Shinsuke flushed and bowed. "Thank you, Haruki-san."

"So when do we get a sample, Shinsuke-kun?" Natsumi asked, adopting her husband's suffix.

"Yes, I too am curious about this "delicious" food," Asuka couldn't help but add wryly.

The two men seemed to remember their significant others then and quickly went about setting the table.

"Mmmmm~!" Amazing flavors exploded over Asuka's taste buds when she took her first bite of Shinsuke's okonomiyaki. It was like a spiritual experience and her body shook. "S-So goood~"

"Really?" Shinsuke asked tentatively.

"Mhmmmm~" Asuka mumbled around a mouthful.

"Scrumptious~" her mother tacked on. "Almost as good as yours, darling."

"**Almost**," Haruki echoed pointedly then returned to his food. "If you ever decide to quit wrestling…you're welcome to work here anytime."

"I'm honored by your offer, Haruki-san," Shinsuke's ears turned pink. "Who knows what the future may bring."

After everyone finished eating. Haruki pulled Asuka aside to the restaurant's office, shooing out his assistant manager.

"You were right, Shinsuke **is** a good man," her father acknowledged once they were alone. "I believe he is the right sort of person for you. I can see it. It pleases me that you have found him and I wish you both all the happiness in the world."

Asuka's lips parted at her fathers' admission, a feeling of immense relief stirring in her chest. "Thank you, dad. That means so much to me."

Haruki pulled her into a hug, kissed her head, and simply held her for a few minutes. "I love you, Asuka."

"I love you too, dad," she said, embracing him back. _Thank you for accepting Shinsuke._

* * *

_**Author's Notes: Found that Asuka owned a hair salon so wanted to include that in here. And I really enjoyed writing Shinsuke's parents being complete opposites of their first impressions of Shinsuke. This whole chapter was fun~ Reviews and faves are appreciated and be sure to check out my AO3~ **_


	2. The Nakamuras

_**Author notes: Sorry for not posting the part 2 sooner, but I've had it a little crazy lately. Thank you for those that have read and left feedback~ Here's part 2!**_

_**Translations/notes:  
**__**Machiya - Traditional wooden townhouses that are most notably found in Kyoto, which was the old capital of Japan before Tokyo.  
**__**Otouto - "Little Brother"  
**__**Omouto - "Little Sister"  
**__**Shichi-Go-San - translates as "seven-five-three." It is an annual festival held for girls of the ages three and seven, and boys of the age of five, as a rite of passage. It is held on November 15th.  
**__**Onee-chan - "Big sister"  
**__**Tatami - straw mats squares made to cover the floors of traditional Japanese homes and other buildings, like ancient castles. Today even modern homes may have at least one tatami room.  
**__**Honmei-choco - Special store bought or homemade chocolates that girls and women present to their crushes on Valentine's Day to show their affections.  
**__**Dorayaki - a dessert of two slices of sweet pancakes with red bean filling between them.  
**__**Frogs - Frogs are a good luck symbol and are associated with things returning. People carry talismans of frogs while traveling abroad for safety and as a reminder to return.  
**__**Kamidana - "God shelf" a small household shinto shrine used for communing with the gods and one's ancestors. **_

_**Text in italics=thoughts**_  
_**Text in Bold= Emphasis on words**_

* * *

Shinsuke didn't realize he had not yet knocked on his mother's door. Not until Asuka's voice broke him out of his haze.

"You gonna knock?"

He shook himself and looked down at her. "Hmm?"

"You've been standing there for at least half a minute, staring at the door." Asuka put her gift beneath one arm. She placed her other hand on her hip and lifted a pink brow. "Don't tell me **you're** nervous all of a sudden."

"Pfft…I'm not nervous," he raised his hand hesitantly. "Maybe…a little?"

Shinsuke was nervous, a lot more than he was meeting Asuka's parents. Sure it was intimidating meeting his girlfriend's father. However, his mother presented her own set of challenges for Asuka to overcome. A challenge in the form of her uncanny ability to read anyone's personality. Not to mention that the last woman whom he adored and brought home was instantly disliked by his sole living parent.

_What if she doesn't like Asuka either? _

Asuka gently slapped his hand down and knocked rapidly on the door in his stead.

"Hey…" Shinsuke protested weakly.

"What? You were fine all the way here, now you're making everyone wait…" She raised her brows. "What's there to be nervous about? Your mom seemed cool on the phone."

"She's cool…just…" he trailed off, playing with the wrapping of his bouquet.

"Just what?"

Before Shinsuke could answer, he heard footsteps from within the Kyoto Machiya. The heavy wooden door opened, revealing his eldest sister Rei. On her heels was his shorter, second eldest sister Midori.

Rei was tall and willowy like he was. Midori was a little more compact, though she still held good inch and a half over Asuka. Both sisters had long hair; Rei's natural while Midori's shown with brown highlights. Midori was suntanned like Shinsuke. Rei remained fair-skinned. His siblings also took more after their father in minute facial details than he, their noses and faces narrower.

"Otouto!" They cried happily.

He let out a small "oomph" as both sisters threw their arms around him. "Didn't think you missed me this much," he teased.

"Oh hush you," Midori chided.

"How's the leg?" Rei asked, looking him over.

"On the mend." He smiled then gestured to Asuka with his head. "This is Urai Asuka. Asuka, these are my sisters, Arata Rei and Endo Midori."

"Ohh cute~" Midori squealed when her eyes fell on Asuka.

"We've heard so much about you," said Rei, "Nice to—"

"Outta the way," the voice of his mother commanded.

Rei and Midori quieted right away and stepped back, making room for their mother, Nakamura Shiori.

Shiori was a few inches shorter than Asuka, but her bearing commanded respect. Her hair was dark despite her age, framing her face in a short bob. Shinsuke shared most of his facial structure with his mother.

Asuka blinked at Shiori's sudden appearance. The only outward show of nerves being her slight gulp.

Shinsuke balked before regaining his composure. "Mother!" he exclaimed, holding out the bouquet. "I got these for you."

Shiori passed him as if he weren't there and stepped straight over to Asuka. She clasped Asuka's cheeks in her hands and pulled her head down so that their eyes were level. His girlfriend stiffened at the intrusive contact.

_Oh no…_Shinsuke almost dropped the flowers.

Seconds ticked by with no one making a move. It was like a showdown, everyone waiting for the first shot.

Just when Shinsuke was about to choke, his mother grinned broadly, showing off her laugh lines. "Welcome, Asuka-chan!" Shiori embraced Asuka cordially. "Nice to meet you."

The bouquet slipped from Shinsuke's hand, his jaw dropped.

"Great to meet you as well, Nakamura-san," Asuka replied amiably, recovering quickly from her surprise.

"Oh no, that won't do." His mother shook her head. "You're family now, call me Shiori."

Asuka blinked again but smiled and bowed. "Of course Shiori-san."

"Does that mean we can stop pretending Shinsuke is our little sister?" Rei quipped with a snicker.

"Hush it, twig," Shinsuke retorted out of habit.

"I can and will still take you down," His eldest sibling fixed him with a glower.

"And I can and will still take both of you down," their mother's threat silenced them both. "Now, supper is almost ready. Come on in."

As his mother led the way, Asuka picked up Shinsuke's flowers and handed them back to him. "You're right, your mom really is cool," she told him with a wink.

"I honestly didn't expect such a warm reception," he said lowly. He really couldn't complain at all though.

"Truthfully, I didn't either," Asuka agreed. They entered the genkan, presented Shiori with their gifts – handmade beeswax candles, and a small painting. They removed their shoes before stepping into the house proper.

"Girls, please show Asuka-chan around. I'd like a moment with my son."

"Right, come with us, Imouto-chan," Midori said. "This is our childhood home."

"Oh really?" Asuka asked, gazing about.

"Some additions over the years, but yes," Rei added.

"It's beautiful, so rustic~" Asuka spoke with reverence in her voice.

"Then I'm sure you will love the rest," Midori promised. She and Rei led Asuka around a corner. Asuka looked over her shoulder, giving him an excited smile.

Shinsuke returned the grin, happy to see his lover enjoying herself. As an only child, he suspected Asuka was pleased to have sisterly company.

"Welcome home, my vagabond son." Shiori finally turned to him.

"It feels so good to be home, mother," Shinsuke said, hugging her tightly against his good side. "Everything been going good since we last talked?" he asked, still keen on his mother's health since her mini-stroke a few weeks back.

"I'm just fine. The doctor said you and your sisters won't be rid of me for some time yet." Shiori pulled back and appraised his healing injury. "And you look well in spite of your leg. Asuka-chan must be taking excellent care of you. She's just what you needed."

"I don't know how you can read things better than me, but I guess I should be grateful."

"I've had much longer to hone my gift." Shiori sniffed. "I'm glad you're appreciating my advice this time instead of brushing it off."

Shinsuke sighed, flashes of a much different reception jumping in and out of his head. "And I was a fool to doubt your warnings. But even if you were to have cautioned me against Asuka instead, I wouldn't be able to find the will to tear myself from her."

"You're loyal and trusting…to a fault sometimes."

"Don't forget idealistic and headstrong." He couldn't help but add.

"Ah yes, can't overlook those." His mother smiled though. "But I suppose those traits have also helped you towards your achievements. Anyway, don't worry about Asuka-chan. She is your match in every way. I see that she compliments your creativity and has a wit that is on level with your own. Take care of her though…I sense a vulnerability in her."

Shinsuke narrowed his eyes, remembering the words Haruki had said while they cooked together in the kitchen at Murasaki.

_\- "Please, Nakamura-san…love and look after my daughter. Asuka is all Natsumi and I have." -_

Shinsuke had felt a chink in Asuka's armor prior. A chink that had weakened her into nightmares in the past, and she either was unsure of the cause or she wasn't yet ready to disclose it to him.

"I understand," he said.

"Good." Shiori took his hand and walked with him to catch up with the younger women.

They found the trio on the living room sofa scouring over a photo album, focusing his baby pictures. Shinsuke felt his face flame when Asuka gasped, "How precious~" at the photos of his newborn self.

"Is this really necessary?" he asked, edging closer in hopes of swiping the book.

Midori brought the album to her chest, sensing his intent. "It is a very important rite of passage," she explained.

"Right…" Shinsuke said dubiously, rolling his eyes. He sat on the arm of the sofa. "I guess you can carry on."

"He had such round cheeks," Shiori said as she took her usual comfy chair opposite of them. "Took days before his sisters stopped pinching them after he was born, and his grandmother could hardly put him down."

Shinsuke pouted as Rei pinched his cheek. "He eventually lost most of his baby fat. Shame."

"Here's our grandma with Shin-chan on Shichi-Go-San." Midori pointed out a picture to Asuka.

"Ohh how cute~" Asuke looked from the picture to him, a smile of adoration upon her face. Shinsuke's heart skipped a beat. "Is this the same grandma that got you into wrestling?" she asked.

"Yes. She was my father's mother," he said.

"How did your father get into baseball and not wrestling?" Asuka inquired further.

Shinsuke shrugged. "His father I suppose."

"Only Shinsuke and his grandmother were the ones really into wrestling back then," Shiori elaborated.

"Hmm, good taste," Asuka remarked. When the page was turned, Asuka failed to stifle a laugh. "W-What's going on here?"

Shinsuke flushed and looked away haughtily. _I can't believe that picture was kept…_

"Rei got into makeup as she entered high school and wanted to test on me," said a chuckling Midori. "But I wouldn't let her, so she sort of roped Otouto into it."

"Otouto never seemed to mind," Rei reasoned primly. "He was kind of girly back then, to be honest."

"And I still have the better make-up skills," Shinsuke countered knowing his sisters were just trying to get a rise out of him in front of his girlfriend. "My fashion sense is superior as well."

Rei frowned at his insolence. "Only when you're not having a lazy day, then you just throw whatever on."

"Yet I still can look prettier than you," he smirked. "Face it, you're jealous."

"He still is a tad girly, perhaps," Asuka interjected.

Shinsuke's grin faded and he suddenly felt very self-conscious.

"If there is a boundary between what's supposed to be girly or not," Asuka went on then shrugged. "I was called a boy when I was little for keeping my hair short and liking video games. Maybe Shinsuke's girly, but if he is, I don't care. Perhaps more men should be "girly". Then they would be more sensitive."

Releasing a pent up breath, Shinsuke felt his embarrassment ebb at hearing her words. He felt a smile tug at his lips. As though sensing his warmth returning, Asuka faced him, one corner of her mouth tilting upward. His mother also seemed pleased with her answer.

"You, boyish? Beneath this pink hair?" Midori asked Asuka.

"Indeed, you would have me fooled," said Rei.

"Have you not seen this woman wrestle?" Shinsuke spoke incredulously. "She may look cute and enjoy cute things, but Asuka's tougher than a cheap steak."

"I can't tell…is that a compliment?" Asuka fished expectantly.

"It is very much a compliment." He gazed lovingly into his girlfriend's eyes. "I'd want no other woman defending my back."

Asuka's cheeks reddened and she averted her gaze with rare shyness.

"Ohh look at them. It's like watching romance on the TV~" cried Midori, and she and Rei broke into a fit of giggles as Shinsuke also blushed.

"I should check on the food," Shiori said and left the room.

Soon after, dinner was announced as ready and everyone sat in the tatami room to eat. The conversation swiftly started again, Asuka the main topic.

"What do you like to do on your days off?" Rei asked.

"I'm a bit of a homebody," Asuka said. "I like to cook and try out new ingredients and appliances. And I still love my video games." Everyone chuckled at that. "I also occasionally take on assignments from gaming companies like Capcom and Microsoft. I try out their games and consoles then writing reviews on them."

"Ohh how ambitious of you," Rei sighed dreamily. It must be nice making money doing something you enjoy."

"She forgot to mention that she owns her own hair salon here in Japan," Shinsuke added, proud to list his girlfriend's other accomplishments. "Her mother, Urai Natsumi runs it. Also her father Haruki-san owns a restaurant in Osaka called Murasaki. You must go eat there some time."

"Did I need a free plug?" Asuka giggled, sounding mildly embarrassed.

He grinned. "No, but I just wanted to tell them. Look, she gave me a trim."

"It's just a trim, anyone could do that," Asuka said modestly.

Still his family let out an awed murmur.

"No wonder your hair looks so stylish," Midori praised.

"Ah, this is not me. My stylist in America did my hair," Asuka clarified. "I just gave him the vision."

"And it's quite the vision," Shinsuke found himself saying before he could give his mouth a filter.

Asuka blinked up at him, color dusting her cheeks again. She looked like she wanted to kiss him. And he was damned, because he felt himself edging closer to her.

_Get control…_he told himself, reluctantly pulling away from her magnetic tug. Asuka seemed to come to the same conclusion and slowly turned from him.

Rei and Midori were staring at both of them. Shiori wore a knowing grin. Shinsuke wasn't sure if he liked how he and Asuka were being looked at. There was such expectancy. The complete opposite of Haruki.

Even with the freedom to show his affection, it felt a little wrong doing it in front of his family. _I'm not giving you guys a show…_

After dinner, his siblings shared details about themselves. Asuka learned that Rei was an insurance broker while her husband was a regional manager for a retail chain. They had one son in his late teens. Midori was an exhibition and events manager and her husband was an Office IT manager. They had two daughters; a teenager and a grade-schooler.

"You both have very nice families," Asuka commented upon the multitude of pictures she was shone (?) to her on Rei and Midori's phones.

"What is your stance on family, Asuka-chan?" Shiori asked. "Do you want children of your own?"

_Ohh here we go again…_Shinsuke thought, cringing slightly.

"I-I…" Asuka stuttered. "I'm not sure. I've never considered them before. Work has usually been my main focus most of my life." Her eyes flicked to Shinsuke briefly. "Shinsuke and I are still learning about each other anyways."

Changing the subject, Asuka requested to look at more "baby-Shin" pictures. Rei left the tatami room and returned with the photo album they were viewing earlier.

"Ohh look at your face, Shinsuke!" Asuka giggled at a picture of him learning to ski in grade six. "He made the same one when I was teaching him to ice skate."

"I get super focused when I learn something new." Shinsuke tried to rationalize.

"I don't know, Shinsuke, you look pretty nervous here. I just think winter sports make you a little squeamish."

"They do not," he pouted. "I slayed ice skating didn't I?"

"Passably," Asuka said, clearly teasing him.

"That's nice that you ice skate," Shiori said. "Our family mostly prefers the warmer months, except maybe for Rei. She ice skates."

"Well, Asuka used to** figure** skate," Shinsuke explained.

"For a very short time as a child," Asuka was quick to amend. "I only skate casually now."

His mother smiled. "I see. A woman of many passions, I admire that quality."

"T-Thank you, Shiori-san," Asuka said, inclining her head.

They moved on to some photos of him during his high school wrestling days.

"Hmmm. I bet you were popular with the girls," Asuka wiggled her brows at him, making him laugh.

"One would say," he humored her.

"The girls flocked all around him throughout his years in school." Shiori corrected. "Why don't you regale us with how _you_ both met, Asuka-chan?" she suggested.

"We first met in NXT," Asuka began. "I was already there and he came into the small room I was sitting in with some of the other girls. He seemed to fill the entire room with his height and personality. Afterward I started really learning English with his help. We became friends easily at that point. But then we kind of drifted apart when he left for the main roster. It lasted even longer once I joined, with him being on SmackDown and me debuting on RAW later on. It wasn't until I came to SmackDown that we reconnected. Then it was almost like old times…but different."

"Different how?" Rei asked, appearing engrossed already.

"Because I was in a funk…and no one else knew what do to with me. I scarcely knew what to do with myself. Shinsuke stepped up then and helped me feel better. We started sharing hotel rooms and hotel beds, platonically at first. But soon I started to…" Asuka trailed off just a little. "I started to wonder if he cared about me more than just as a friend."

Both of his sisters awed loudly. "So how did you find out?" Rei prodded, resting her head on her fist.

"I challenged her to a pocky game," Shinsuke injected himself into the story. "I too had started wondering…and hoping."

His sisters "Ohh-ed" while his mother merely listened quietly.

"What did you do Asuka-chan?" Midori urged.

"I kissed him and won the damn game," Asuka said with a hint of smugness.

Midori and Rei gasped, asking "Then what?" simultaneously.

"I kissed her back, of course," Shinsuke picked back up. "We talked things over, confessed our feelings to each other, and well they say the rest is history."

"Feels like we've been inseparable ever since…" Asuka murmured, seemingly more to herself than anyone else. "Feels like we've been together longer than a few months…"

_Feels like years,_ Shinsuke internally agreed.

"Oh Otouto, you two are so perfect," Midori said with open admiration. "Asuka-chan's nothing like Emiko—" She then clamped both hands over her mouth, eyes wide and panicked.

Shinsuke flinched reflexively in response to that name, his mind suddenly running wild with heartbreaking memories.

"Emiko?" Asuka echoed, cocking her head. "Who's Emiko?"

"You haven't told her yet, Shinsuke?" Shiori asked pointedly.

"I…" He hung his head in shame. "…N-No…"

"Now you've gone and done it…" Rei shook her head at Midori.

His middle sibling began apologizing profusely before a heavy silence fell over them.

"I believe it's getting quite late now," Shiori said. "Shinsuke has a long day tomorrow as he surely has had already today."

His sisters got the subtle hint and got up to say their goodbyes to him, Asuka and his mother. After his siblings left, his mother got up and showed him and Asuka to their shared guest room.

"It appears your mom has been drinking the same tea as mine, letting us share a room," Asuka's comment broke the sudden tenseness once they had brought all their things inside.

Shinsuke chuckled a little at her light-heartedness as he gingerly changed into a simple pair of sleep shorts. "Of that, I have no doubt. But I think she has another purpose for this arrangement now." He hobbled over and sat down on one side of the bed. How was he going to start?

Asuka plopped down next to him, easing her hand into his. "So how many girlfriends have you had?" she popped the question for him.

"You want me to start all the way back in grade school?" he asked, shoulders shaking with mirth.

"May as well." Asuka grinned.

"Well," he started. "In grade school, the girls did flock around me, but I didn't really pay them that sort of mind beyond friendship. I was more interested in drawing and staying off the radar of bullies, and of course wrestling. I got my first kiss at ten. A neighbor girl that went to my school liked me and one day while we were walking home together, she just kissed me out of the blue."

"Ohh~" Asuka gushed like he had told her a juicy bit of gossip. "Then what happened?"

Shinsuke brushed at his nose shyly while going over the memory. "Truthfully I just stood there stunned as if some veil had been lifted from my eyes and I didn't know what to do with it. Ami said "That wasn't how I expected. Wanna try again?" I remember nodding and we kissed again. We didn't go steady or anything just practiced kissing together."

"Ah, so I have Ami to thank for making you a good kisser?" She leaned on his shoulder, giving him goo-goo eyes.

"Ack no!" he nudged at her playfully. "That was my girlfriend Fumiko at age fourteen. But it was Ami who caused me to look at girls differently. Made me start wanting to impress them. I already wanted to be strong, but then I also wanted to be cool and hot for the girls. It was part of the reason I learned to surf. I never stopped because I ended up loving it. Anyways…feels like I've had my share of girlfriends…and um…some…boyfriends…since then." Admitting that made his face heat and his heart palpitate with anxiety, but he felt it was something Asuka needed to know. He squeezed his eyes shut as he waited for her response.

"Me too!"

Shinsuke's eyes popped open and he looked at her anew. "Eh?"

"I've been with men and women too," Asuka said, appearing enthralled by his revelation.

"Really?" he blinked, still trying to process everything.

She nodded. "I even had a fling with Ember Moon while in NXT."

"Ohh? So that's why you two had such great in-ring chemistry~" He bumped her shoulder with a wink. "How many girlfriends have you had?"

"Hey don't turn this on me. This is about you, mister."

Mindful of Asuka and his leg, Shinsuke gently tackled her to the bed and attempted to pin her to the mattress. "You inserted yourself into this conversation when you admitted you were attracted to women."

Asuka wiggled beneath him, so he started tickling her to maintain control of the situation. Between laughs, he kissed her until she became pliant.

"That wasn't fair," she pouted breathlessly when he finally ceased.

"You're right…I was just stalling." He let her up and flopped down beside her.

"So…" Asuka shifted to her side and rested her cheek on her palm, eyes inquisitive. "Who is this Emiko, and why was her name spoken around here like it was some taboo word?"

Shinsuke sucked in a breath, letting it out with a sigh. "Because she was…my ex-fiancée."

"What?" Asuka's eyes were practically saucers. "Ex-fiancée? You were almost married? Not that that's impossible…you're very marriage-able." Her cheeks reddened to scarlet. "But yeah, just hadn't seen that coming. A-And I'll shut up now…" she trailed off in a small voice.

"You think I'm marriage material?" he asked, also moving to his side to get a better view of her.

"Of course! You're Nakamura freakin' Shinsuke." Asuka continued in a lowered tone again. "I see girls throwing themselves at you left and right, quite literally. I mean didn't you see those three women at the news station. If a woman could get pregnant by your mere presence, they would all be having your babies."

Shinsuke guffawed at the visual. "Good thing that isn't possible then." When his chuckles died away, he added soberly. "But I guess I'm not marriage material for everyone. I apparently wasn't for Emiko."

"Want to talk about it?" Asuka reached out to his face, touching him tenderly.

"It's a hard topic for me, but you need to know," he said, leaning into her hand. "We met at university, in design class. I knew I wanted to become a wrestler but mom insisted I have a backup plan, so I majored in fine art and design. Emiko shared that class because she wanted to get into fashion."

Asuka trailed her hand down his face to rest over his hand. Her eyes were focused on his, telling him that she was listening intently.

He bit his lip before going on. "She was…very beautiful, statuesque…and I thought I could never have a chance with her, so I just sat and contented myself with admiring her from afar. But then on Valentine's Day, Emiko surprised me by giving me a honmei-choco. It was almost like Ami all over again, but somehow I found the voice to ask her to be my girlfriend." He looked down at their hands.

Asuka said nothing. She simply rubbed the back of his hand.

"From then on we spent a lot of time together, dating. We lasted well past university, which up til then and until now, was the most serious relationship I had ever had. Emiko was smart…talented...kind. I thought she was perfect and everything I ever wanted. Mother, on the other hand, didn't see it that way. From the moment she met Emiko she didn't like her. Of course they were polite to each other. But then mother pulled me aside and asked about my intentions with Emiko. I said that I was in love with her. Mother warned me, "Emiko is not right for you." But I was young and foolish and didn't listen to her advice. Emiko and I were together for about three years before I asked her to marry me. When she accepted, I was over the moon. But when I look back at events leading up to the wedding things maybe began to come apart at the seams."

"How so?" Asuka asked.

"At the time Emiko was working an upscale boutique, and I had just won my first IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. I wasn't home a lot. And when we got time together she mainly wanted to spend it planning the wedding or focusing on her work. I would have rather just spent time with her." Shinsuke sighed again. "But most of all I wanted to please her and give her a dream wedding. I wanted to make her happy. So I simply agreed to all of her whims and desires without any thought towards my own. She had seemed happy at the time, but also there was a distance between us. I didn't notice it until years later. Perhaps what I could give her wasn't enough. Maybe I wasn't enough."

Asuka scooted closer, pressing her hand to his chest. "You did your best, Shinsuke. If that wasn't enough for her, then it sounds like she wasn't as perfect as she seemed."

"Maybe," he sighed again. "Just shortly before the wedding was to take place, I came home to find our apartment emptied of all her things. She left a note that simply read "I'm sorry." To this day I have no exact idea why Emiko left me like that, so close to what was supposed to be our biggest day." He moved onto his back and wiped his hand down his face. "That…that really messed me up. The not knowing. Was it her? Was it me? Was there another man?"

"I may be biased, but I think it was her."

Shinsuke smiled a little, but inside he couldn't help internally debating with himself. Even now his self-confidence on the matter was in doubt for him. "Heh, in fact, I would say she was the one that turned me towards men for a while. But I couldn't…be in a real relationship with anyone again after that. For years I was afraid of commitment because I was afraid of being left like that again." He swallowed thickly then looked back at Asuka. He covered her hand with his, a half-smile tugging at his lips. "Until you came along and flipped everything upside down. You made me want to take the risk, and I'm glad I gave in to you."

Asuka's lips formed an "O" then next thing he knew, she was straddling him and kissing him in a way that made his toes curl.

"I'm honored you put your trust in me," she murmured against his lips. "I will treasure and never misplace it."

Shinsuke did trust her, with all his heart and soul. He held her closer, nose nuzzling hers. He said, "Thank you, Asuka."

They shared a few more kisses before Asuka stopped to ask, "So have you been with any men I might know?" When his face heated again, she grinned like a Cheshire cat. "Alright who is it?"

"I can't say…" His voice was a whine and he covered his face. Of course, that was no barrier for Asuka.

"I told you that I was with Ember," she retorted, pulling his hands away. "And no, the pouty face isn't going to work."

Shinsuke grumbled at his failed ploy. There was no getting out of it. Peering up at her through his lashes, he said softly, "Tanahashi Hiroshi."

Asuka's eyes brightened. "Now there's a sexy pair."

"It was a one-off," he waved it off. "He preferred women anyway."

"What drove you not to pursue men anymore?" she asked, sounding curious.

He took a moment to mull it over before answering. "I suppose it was because most of my younger life I was more comfortable around females. Many guys were always negatively targeting me because of my size and emotional vulnerability. Maybe that stuck with me a little."

"I see. That makes sense."

And it's not as simple as that either." He felt for the first time at complete ease with spilling his secret to her, a secret only his immediate family knew. "Whether I was with a woman or a man…I felt like I couldn't quite be myself. The women I was with intimately made me feel like I had to be masculine all the time, while the men made me feel like they only appreciated my girly side. But as a whole, Shinsuke is both. Mostly I feel masculine, I think, but sometimes I feel feminine tendencies creep into me. Sometimes those roles switch in me at the drop of a hat. Other times it's a mixture of both. And not many individuals can accept that, but I feel like you do. Never before have I felt like I could truly be myself like I can with you. I hope this all doesn't sound too weird for you."

Asuka shook her head. "I understand you because I sort of feel the same."

"Really?" Shinsuke was astonished that they shared such commonality.

"Yes." She smoothed his hair absently. "I'm attracted to men and women. Men don't care so much about that, but at the end of the day, they mainly want me to come home with them. A lot of women on the other hand, once they knew I was bisexual, wouldn't touch me with a ten-foot pole."

"Is that what it was like with Ember?"

"No," Asuka replied, rolling off of him. "Ember didn't mind. All in all, I think I wasn't ready for anything serious then, and I could tell she had a thing for Corbin. I didn't want to get in the way of that."

Shinsuke's curiosity grew then. "Have you had any serious relationships?"

"Not really. I had my first kiss at seven, I lost my virginity at fifteen. I had a lot of girlfriends and boyfriends, but there were never any real feelings attached. At least not for me. And like I said, it was hard finding anyone else that truly accepted the real me." Her eyes turned to upward to the ceiling. "There was one man though. One I thought I could…have a true relationship with, but…it didn't work out."

"Do you want to talk about it?" he offered.

Asuka looked at him, her lips parting then closing several times. Finally she said, "You could say he betrayed my trust, shattered my heart. He…changed from the man I had fallen for. I could no longer be with him. So I left him. After that…my dad became super protective of me."

"I see. I'm sorry Asuka." His heart twinged with pain for her and he reached a hand out to her.

"Don't be." Asuka shook her head and then curled her body against his. "I found you after all. Shinsuke, you gave me hope again," she whispered against his chest. "You made me feel valued and that I wanted to value you too. I'm happy I took the chance and kissed you. And it doesn't matter to me if you're feeling manly or girly. I wouldn't care whether you were born a man or a woman, or any gender identity in between. I just want to be with you because you're you."

Shinsuke's heart skipped a beat. He couldn't form words for the profound feeling he got from what she said.

"I think that means I don't fall under the bisexual label," she said, playing with a strand of his hair.

"Who cares about labels? We don't need them," his voice came back to him then. "Gender and labels don't matter. You're Asuka and I'm Shinsuke, and we're together. That's what truly matters."

Asuka snuggled closer and he sensed her smile. "You're right."

"Let's get some rest," he said, kissing her head. "There are two others I wish for you to meet tomorrow."

"Oh? Who?" she asked as she lifted her head from his chest, a question in her eyes.

Shinsuke chuckled and gently pushed her head back down. "You'll see."

"Oh, alright," she relented and kissed his bare sternum before settling in again. "I kind of had a feeling you had a feminine side to you."

"You did?" he peered down at the top of her head.

"Mhmmm. Plus you wearing Billie's eyelashes seemed so natural," she giggled.

_Asuka saw that? Damn Instagram…_

Shinsuke pretended to snore.

"Hey, I know you're faking."

The next day Shinsuke advised what foods and drinks to bring with Asuka as gifts. At first, she asked once more who it was she would be meeting. When he also gathered incense, flowers, a bucket of water, and a couple of ladles, she seemed to understand without a word.

He drove her to Tenryuji Temple and from there they walked with their bags of things to the temple cemetery. Though it had been a while since he had last visited, Shinsuke knew the way by heart. Walk eight rows into the cemetery; turn right, and then five graves down were the final resting places of his father and grandmother.

Nakamura family crest marked the base of each grave. The two stone pillars that rose from the bases were engraved with their given names, Daichi and Kazue.

Shinsuke paused before the stones as emotions welled within him. He had not been able to say a proper goodbye to either his father or grandma before they passed. It still got to him at times. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He and Asuka then got to work.

Normally he would conduct the ritual visitation on his own or with his family, but due to his injury, Asuka had to be the one to aid him. Besides he wanted her to take part in this with him.

First, they used the bucket and wooden ladles, pouring the water carefully over one grave, then the other, washing the stone.

Then they fixed vases into the holders, filled them with more water, and placed the flowers – sprigs of star anise – inside.

"Dad loved the rice crackers and Kirin beer," Shinsuke said, handing Asuka the package of snacks, while he set the canned beverage down on the offering slab near the base. Asuka followed his example.

Lastly, he lit some incense and eased himself into a crouch in front of his father's grave. He lowered his head then placed both hands together in prayer for the spirit of his father as well as his ancestors.

After a short moment, he beckoned Asuka to his side. She kneeled next to him.

"Father I wanted you to meet someone very special to me," he said. "Her name is Asuka. Asuka, this is Nakamura Daichi."

Asuka bowed her head respectively. "I'm glad to meet you Daichi-san. Please accept my gifts." She bowed again and also silently prayed. "Thank you for allowing me to visit your resting place."

They repeated the same ritual for Kazue's grave, only there Asuka made an offering of doriyaki and Shinsuke offered a bottle of green tea.

"Grandma, please meet my girlfriend Asuka. Asuka meet Nakamura Kazue."

"Pleased to meet you, Kazue-san," Asuka said quietly. "Thank you for allowing me to visit you and I hope you like the doriyaki. I hear it is a favorite of yours."

A breeze of cool refreshing air abruptly interrupted the heat of summer, ruffling their hair like a loving caress. And just as suddenly as it came it was gone.

Shinsuke looked around then smiled at Asuka. "I think they also approve of you."

Asuka's eyes widened and she swiftly bowed again towards the graves. "Thank you so much, Daichi-san, Kazue-san!"

Shinsuke wrapped an arm around Asuka's shoulder and pulled her closer to his side. They sat huddled together for a little while before the graves, enjoying each other's nearness and the strange serenity the stillness of a cemetery provided.

Once they slowly made their way back to the rental, Shinsuke couldn't resist tugging Asuka into another one-armed embrace.

"Thank you for coming with me today. It isn't always easy. You being here gave me a lot of strength though," he said, breathing in her fresh scent. "You're the only outsider I have ever thought to bring here."

Asuka blinked at him in obvious wonder. She then reached up and snuck a kiss to his chin before other cemetery visitors could notice. "Thank you for bringing me here, Shinsuke. Your family is all so wonderful and I am grateful I have finally met them."

Shinsuke hummed in agreement. "Everyone is quite taken with you as well. And I…" The beginnings of three words he hadn't uttered to another person that wasn't his blood danced on the tip of his tongue for the first time in years, begging for him to let them out.

Instead, a shaky breath escaped him and he bit his lower lip hard.

"Shinsuke," she whispered, eyes shining with concern. "What is it?"

He dropped his forehead to hers. "I just…" he stumbled over his words, his tongue feeling thick. "Just wonder what did I ever do to deserve someone like you?"

"I. Think. I. Have. An. Idea." Asuka punctuated each word with bold kisses to his lips and he lost all care about who might be spying on them. She pulled back to look up at him. "It's simple really. Karma. You obviously got double-crossed in your last relationship, so the universe had to tip the scales to keep the balance." She smiled wryly. "And I bet Emiko is dealing with the bitch side of Karma right now."

"I think you're on to something," he decided with a hint of a smile. "Though I don't know if I could ever wish bad luck on anyone."

"In Emiko's case, I must respectively disagree," his girlfriend said swiftly, and Shinsuke couldn't find it in him to argue her point.

When they returned to his mother's home to retrieve their things and say their goodbyes, they found Shiori out on her porch, watering her collection of potted plants. She stopped what she was doing and beamed at them both.

"My husband wasn't the easiest person," his mother said, taking Asuka's hands in hers. "But I believe he would have liked you. His mother as well, she was a charming woman."

Asuka smiled in turn. "Thank you, Shiori-san. And it has been a pleasure to meet you and your daughters. Thank you for inviting me to your lovely home and for your hospitality. I look forward to visiting you again."

"The pleasure is all mine. Like I said yesterday, you're family now and you're welcome here anytime." Shiori patted her hand.

"T-Thank you!" Asuka cried, wrapping her arms around his mother. Shiori blinked in surprise, but soon smiled and embraced her back.

Shinsuke felt his heart warm at the loving moment he was witnessing between two of the most important women in his life.

When his mother finally let go of Asuka, she turned to him. "I wish you didn't have to go, or that at least you weren't so far away." She hugged him close.

"I know," he said, stroking her dark hair. "But you know like frogs, I always return."

"You are good at that." his mother sniffed. "I love you son, and I'm going to miss you until you come back."

"I love you and I'll miss you too, always." He hugged her tighter, not minding having to stoop so much. When he pulled away he wiped away a stray tear from his eye. "I'm happy you're feeling better, Asuka and I spent a lot of time in front of the kamidana."

"Oh?" Shiori looked from him to Asuka and bowed her head. "I'm very grateful for your well wishes. Thank you for being there for my son during that time, Asuka-chan."

Asuka bowed lowly. "It was the least I could do for both of you."

Soon it became time for him and Asuka to head for the arena for that night's show. They grabbed their belongings and put them in the rental before saying their final goodbyes to Shiori.

During the drive, Asuka said. "I really like your mom, she reminds me a little of my grandmother."

"Oh?" Shinsuke asked, looking her way.

"Mhmm. Grandma was also a tough cookie."

"Then I'd say you inherited that quality," he smiled and returned his eyes to the road. "It's a very good one I might add."

"True." Asuka then began to giggle.

"What's so funny?"

"Just that you were so worried about me meeting your mother," she smirked. "And turns out we're two peas in a pod."

"Yeah, well you were worried about me meeting your father." Shinsuke shot back smugly. "Now he wants me to join in the family business."

"That was **different**," she shook her head. "I thought he was going to turn you into a human pin cushion with his cooking knives."

"But he didn't."

"He could have!"

"Naw."

"If he caught us sleeping in the same room the other night, he would've."

"You snuck into my room," he reasoned, enjoying their light banter. "So you're the one that put my life in peril."

"You're not the only one who can play ninja," Asuka quipped.

"No, I suppose not," he appraised her with a grin.

"So…" she said after a small pause, her voice sounding a little shyer. "We've met each other's parents…where do we go from here?"

"Well," Shinsuke trained his eyes on the road ahead. "Presently we'll perform for the audience and return to America. After that…" he glanced back to his girlfriend and rested one hand over hers. "We have many roads to choose from. In fact, the way I see it, we have the whole world in front of us."

To that Asuka said, "I like your thinking, Kitsune."

"I hoped you would." He weaved his fingers between hers.

She squeezed his hand in reciprocation.

_You __**are**__ my world, Asuka._

* * *

_**Author's Notes: In Shinsuke's book I got the feeling he was greatly influenced by women, because he was mostly surrounded by them. He was a grandma's boy and she got him into wrestling. I feel he was closer to his mother than his father growing up because his father tended to be harder on him, wanting him to be more manly and to play baseball. Shinsuke said his father could sometimes have a scary temper as well. His sisters, on the other hand, would get on his case about being girly and letting other boys in school bully him. I suspected there was some sibling bickering, but that they all cared for each other. And ever since I started watching Shinsuke wrestle I thought he seemed a bit of a genderfluid person. I think somewhere Shinsuke was quoted as saying something about embracing both genders when it comes to his sense of self. And there are some pics on Instagram and such of him wearing eye make up. So really wanted to try and convey that in this chapter. So I feel both him and Asuka could be bisexual and experimental in their past sexual escapades. Anyways, hope this second part was enjoyable as the first!**_


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